Eddie Howe drops hint at future team selections after 'valid' statement following Newcastle United's win over Tottenham Hotspur
There are a few things on this little ball of rock floating around in space that can spike my blood pressure as quickly as seeing Anthony Gordon's name on the Newcastle United team sheet as our only striker option.
To me, and many other fans, Anthony Gordon is a winger. That's where he belongs. That's where he plays the best. His goal return when playing as a striker (one) should attest to that.
And yet, Eddie Howe persists with the experiment, and now, after his last couple of outings in that position, we are starting to see where Howe is coming from.
I'm not going to sit here and say that Anthony Gordon was incredible last night. In fact, up until he provided that fantastic assist for Jacob Ramsey, I almost forgot he was on the pitch at all, but that moment was huge, and it doesn't happen if Gordon's not around - obviously.
Eddie Howe says Anthony Gordon is a valid option up front
Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa aren't exactly the goal machines we were hoping for, while Howe still doesn't seem keen on Will Osula. Last night, Eddie Howe was speaking about Gordon as a striker, calling him a 'valid option' and hinting that he's not done with this experiment yet.
“I think it's a valid option for us. I think Anthony has done really well there this season, whenever he's played and actually the team's done well off the back of that.
“We haven't always scored the goals that a lot of our performances have deserved. They go back to the Liverpool game before he got sent off.
“It hasn't quite clicked in front of goal, but in some senses his mobility and his legs and his desire to press has made the team play better. So, that's why I went with it today and he's got a fluid look about it.
“He can drift wide, he can come lower, but he's got that pace that threatens the opponent's back line. So, I was delighted with his attitude in his work late today and I thought the team responded well to it.”
Gordon is a nuisance for defenders, but we're still lacking a goal scorer
Gordon may not be the man to get us the goals, even when playing as a striker, but he does affect the opposition defence a lot more than the likes of Woltemade and Wissa seem to.
Wissa can't stay onside, while Woltemade sits too deep, and both are way too easy to defend against. Gordon brings an air of unpredictability and drags players out of position when he drifts wide.
So I'm warming to the idea of Gordon as a striker for those reasons, but it still leaves us without someone who can put the ball in the back of the net. Surely it's time to give the wildcard that is Will Osula a proper shot. What have we got to lose at this point?
